HMS Mauritius (Pennant C80) was a Colony-class light cruiser built by Swan Hunter, Newcastle upon Tyne and commissioned on 4 January 1940. Complement: 730.
Mauritius operated on trade protection duties in the Atlantic and remained with the Home Fleet until going to the East Indies late in 1941. She joined the Eastern Fleet in 1942, but was withdrawn in April 1943 to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet. After repairs following grounding, she was operational in June 1943 and thereafter participated in the landings in Sicily.
In September she was part of the covering force for the Salerno landings, but by the end of the year had been transferred to the Bay of Biscay to carry out anti-blockade-runner patrols, as part of Operation Stonewall. However, she soon returned to the Mediterranean, this time for the Anzio landings in January 1944. In June 1944 she covered the landings in Normandy as part of Force D off Sword Beach, then carried out offensive patrols of the Brittany coast in August to mop up the remnants of the German shipping in the area.
She sank or damaged the following German ships:
Sperrbrecher 157 on 14/15 August 1944 (Bay of Biscay)
5 Vorpostenboote on 22/23 August 1944. (Bay of Biscay)
Z31 (badly damaged) in January 1945 with HMS Diadem (Norwegian coast).
She was refitted at Cammell-Laird’s between February 1945 and March 1946.
She then served in the Mediterranean with the 15th (later lst) Cruiser Squadron, returning to the UK in 1948. After a spell in reserve and in refit, she recommissioned in 1949 for the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean, sailing on 6 May 1949. However, the years 1949 to 1951 were spent on the East Indies Station with the 4th Cruiser Squadron until she returned to Chatham on 18 December 1951. She was placed in reserve in 1952 and remained there until she was sold for scrap at Inverkeithing in 1965.
Battles
1941 - Battle of the Atlantic ( WW2)
1943 - Operation Husky ( WW2)
1943 - Operation Avalanche ( WW2)
1944 - Anzio Operation Shingle ( WW2)
1944 - Operation Overlord (D-Day) ( WW2)
1944 - Biscay ( WW2)
1945 - Norway ( WW2)http://military-genealogy.forcesreunite ... _Mauritius
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